Daniel mcfarlan moore



(No Model.)

D. MOF. MOORE.

INTEEEUETEE PoE ELECTEIG LIGHTING SYSTEMS. No. 604,681.

Patented May 24,1898.

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Wtnesses.-

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DANIEL IWIGFARLAN MOORE, OF NENARK, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE MOORE ELECTRICAL OOIWIPANY, OE NEV YORK, N. Y.

INTERRUPTER FOR ELECTRlC-LEGHTBNG SYSTEMS.

SPEC'IFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,681, dated May 24, 1898.

Application filed December 3,1895. Serial No. 570,872. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL MCFARLAN MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex 5 and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Interrupter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to magnetically-actuated circuit-interrupters operated in a vacuro um and in a circuit of induction for the purpose of generating electric waves, disturbances, or discharges suitable for producing luminous or other effects.

The invention is primarily designed for use 15 with vibratory interrupters, but may also be used with rotary interrupters. The power of the magnet or magnets may be varied by varying the power of the current in a circuit through them, as by interrupting the circuit 2o and (in the preferred form of my invention) by alternately charging the two magnets which move the interrupter in opposite directions, or the same effect maybe produced by the use of an alternating current, the interz 5 rupter being in such case preferably polarized.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and circuits hereinafter fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows in a general diagrammatic form an arrangement of apparatus embodying my invention. Eig. 2 illustrates the invention as carried out by the use of an alternating elec- 35 tric current. Fig. 3 shows 'a modification.

In Fig. 1, A indicates the vibratory interrupter hermetically sealed in a receptacle B, of glass or other suitable material, in which there is a vacuum carried, preferably, to a very high degree of exhaustion. The interrupter A works between two contacts O C', which are supported within the receptacle andconnected by wires sealed in the walls of the receptacle with one pole of the circuit, 45 while the interrupter A is connected through said walls with the other pole in any suitable manner.

The circuit which is interrupted is indicated by the numeral 5 and includes a coil of 5o self-induction B, preferably wound, with no core to lessen the magnetic lag. The interruption of this circuit of induction at the points O O produces electric waves, disturbances, or undulations, which are conveyed off by wires f5 to the device E, which may be an 55 electric lamp or other device upon which such electric disturbances may operate. The lamp here shown is wh at I term a phosphorescent electric lamp-such, for instance, as described in my prior patent, No. 548,127, but 6o might be of any other form. The device E might be connected in any other way to the circuit to be affected by the electric disturbances set up by the action of the interrupter. The circuit 5 is supplied With energy from 65 any desired source-as, for instance, from a Vwire feeding ordinary incandescent lamps or other translating devices.

The interrupter A might be mounted as a spring in the receptacle, but is preferably 7o pivoted tovibrate freely from the fixed support CL within the receptacle. It is provided with an armature E, working in a narrow space at one end of the receptacle and opposite the poles of the electromagnets G G', 75 which are alternately energized through the operation of a circuit-changer H, driven by any suitable motive power and placed in a circuit 10, including the magnets G G. The circuit 10, which is independent of 5, is sup- 8o plied from any suitable source and might be taken from the same source or mains which4 supply the circuit 5. The poles of the electromagnets are brought close to the armature F, so as to operate powerfully upon the 8 5 same. The interrupter H is a power-driven interrupter, operated by a spring or other mechanical power or by an electric motor; butias the manner of driving the same forms no part of my present invention the motive 9o device itself is not here indicated.

The circuit-changer is here typified by a rotary disk of metal b, interrupted at its periphery by insulating-spaces and provided with springs c, which bear upon the periphery 9 5 and connect, respectively, with magnets G G', while a third spring CZ, bearing upon the hub of the disk, preserves the connection with one pole of circuit l0, the other pole of which is connected to the return of the magnets roo G G. The operation of the device, obviously, is to cause the current to pass first through G and then through G, and so on in alternation, thereby producing positive vibration of the interruptor A, the rate of which may be adjusted by adjusting the speed of the driving power by any suitable means.

It willbe obvious that the invention is capable ot' being carried out by any form of circuit-chan ger adapted to energize the magnets G Gl in alternation, and that as the action is a positive one and independent of the condition of the contacts C C the device is much more certain and steady in action than those interrupters heretofore employed, wherein the action of the magnet which operates the interruptor is dependent upon the condition of circuit at the contacts of said interruptor within the receptacle.

I do not limit myself to loosely pivoting the interruptor, but might, as indicated in Fig. 2, construct the same as a spring, though it is preferable to pivot it loosely, since in such case its action may be more readily con` trolled, not being affected by the natural rate of vibration ot the spring. In Fig. 2 the interrupter is shown as a spring-interruptor, working in a receptacle of any ordinary character and serving to break the circuit of induction, including a coil D, the extra current of which is carried to the light E by the branch wires G. The interruptor A carries an armature placed opposite the poles of an electromagnet G. The armature may be of soft iron or may be polarized. The varia tions of power in the magnet Gare produced by the action of an alternating` current circulating in the coils of said magnet and derived from any alternating-current source, as indicated at I. The circuit of the coil G is independent of that through the interruptor, as already described, and the rate of interruption may be readily controlled by the rate of alternation, and the action will be quite independent of any condition of the interruptorcontacts. In this 'form of the invention the movement of the interruptor in one direction is produced by the action of the spring at every change of polarity of the alternating current, and its movement in the other direction is produced by the power of the actuating-magnet.

To secure a positive action in both directions, asis the case in the arrangement shown in Fig. l, the armature on the interruptor should be polarized. XVhen so polarized, it is preferable to arrange it between the poles of an electromagnet or magnets which are placed in the alternating-current circuit. For simplicity I prefer to arrange it, as shown in Fig. 3, between the opposite poles of the saine magnet. As will be obvio us, the movement of the interruptor is a positive one in both directions, b'eing produced by the combined push Vtheir action with the reversal of the current Vflowing in the coils ot' the electronnignet. The interruptor may, as before, work between two contacts, thereby doubling the number of? interruptions oit' the circuit Vfor a given rate of Vibration.

By operating the interruptor by means ol an alternating current I am enabled to disv pense with the use ol? the circuit making and breaking devices of the circuit-changer ll. (Shown in Fig. l.) As to the power for operating suoli circuit-el1anger, it is to be remarked that an electric motor might be employed which should derive its power from the saine source as the wires lO lO, being placed, how ever, by preference, in shunt to said wires, as will be obvious to electricians.

I do not limit myself to the use oi a direct or continuous current in the circuit of induction which traverses the interruptor, i'or such current might be an alternating current and in this case might be taken from the same mains which supply alternating current to the interruptor actuating-magnet.

I do not malte speciiic claim herein to the combination, with the actuating-magnct ior the interrupter, of a source of alternating currents supplying the said magnet overa circuit independent of that including the interruptor, as this is claimed specifically in an application of even dato tiled by me.

I'Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with an interruptor working in a sealed receptacle, ot' a pair ol actuatingunagnet poles arranged at opposite sides of an armature carried by said interruptor, and means for energizing said magnets in alternation, as described, over a cir` cuit independent of the interruptor.

2. The combination with an interruptor loosely pivoted in a sealed receptacle, of an armature borne thereby, and a pair of actu ating-magnet poles arranged on opposite sides thereof, said magnet being in a circuit independent of the interrupter-contaets,

3. rIhe combination, substantially as described, of an interruptor working in a sealed receptacle and carrying an armature within said receptacle, a pair of magnot-poles exterior to the same and arranged on opposite sides of said armature, and means for energizing said magnets in alternation as described to cause a positive movement of the interruptor' in both directions.

Signed at New York, in the county ot' New York and State of NewYork, this 22d day of.' November, A. I). 1305.

DANIEL MCFAItIn/IN MOORE.

.Vitnesses:

XVM. Il. OAPEL, D. H. DECKER. 

